Pellegrini: President Should Have Been More Critical in Her Speech

Bratislava, November 29 (TASR) - President Zuzana Caputova should have been more resolute in her State of the Republic address, as she attempted to take a critical stance on Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO), but not enough, opposition Voice-SD leader Peter Pellegrini stated at a press conference on Tuesday. Pellegrini expected the head of state to use a harsher tone. "We could have been more resolute and trenchant. I guarantee that the majority of the people would have welcomed it because she would finally be speaking their language," he said. Pellegrini praised the fact that the President touched on the poverty of the people and insufficient aid, as well as her hint that a snap election might be one of the solutions. In the Voice-SD chair's view, the President's Office must not remain silent in crisis situations. "When Parliament is incompetent, the government totally incompetent, when we have a prime minister who's weak, who else should we call on to take a stand on behalf of this poor, heavily-tested nation if not the President of the Slovak Republic?" asked Pellegrini. mf/mcs